


Burn him like a blazing star

by victoria_p (musesfool)



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Community: halfamoon, Fireworks, Gen, Grief, Guy Fawkes Night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-13
Updated: 2009-02-13
Packaged: 2017-10-07 05:56:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musesfool/pseuds/victoria_p
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>None of them has much heart for fireworks this year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Burn him like a blazing star

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zvi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zvi/gifts).



> For zvi, who requested Molly Weasley, Guy Fawkes Day for halfamoon 2009.

The twins had never needed an excuse to set off fireworks, though they had gladly taken whatever official blessings they could get. Their exit from Hogwarts is still spoken of with awe and admiration, and as much as Molly would have liked them to have finished school, she's glad they had a little time to do what made them happy before the war took its heavy toll.

The smell of spent fireworks lingered in the house for weeks when they lived at home, clung to their skin and clothes no matter how hard she cleaned or scrubbed--she'd threatened to scourgify them both more than once, secretly delighting in their horrified laughter. They'd never been the most fastidious boys, and they'd loved to wind her up, and she realizes she misses the scent now that it's gone.

November fifth rolls around and none of them has much heart for fireworks this year, that last explosion still too fresh in their minds, singed-flesh smell of death that still lingers in her nose, in the back of her throat, when she thinks of Fred, when she sees George, so lost and alone.

Molly stands at the kitchen sink, watches through the window as the night explodes in spangled color. She can't help flinching at the noise.

Arthur puts his arm around her shoulders and squeezes, drops a kiss to the crown of her head, and she sniffs and dabs her eyes.

"Come outside, Mum," Charlie says, taking her hand and leading her into the backyard, where the rest of her children are standing in a semicircle, freckled faces tipped up to the sky and dappled with shadows under the fireworks.

George gives a curt nod and Percy returns it, and the single rocket screeches into the sky, exploding into a red and gold lion, roaring at the sky. It burns bright for a long moment and then cascades into tongues of flame that illuminate the night. She has to blink to clear away her tears, notices silent tears staining Arthur's cheeks, too, though his mouth is stretched in a wide, proud smile.

"He would have loved it," Ron says, and Ginny chokes on a sob. Molly gathers her close and cries into her hair.

"Mum? Mum, it's okay," Bill says, wrapping her in a hug from behind, and then they are all hugging and crying in one big snuffling mass of Weasleys.

It's not, Molly thinks, but she lets herself sink into the warmth of her family, determined to hold them all close for as long as she can.

end

~*~


End file.
